El Dorado 12-Year

As my 1st purchase of an aged rum..I have to say I did pretty good. Find it smooth with little after taste. I especially like it with a single cube of ice in it. Really like this rum but we'll see how it stands up in the long term after I've sampled some finer rums.

It's no secret quite a bit of sugar is added to this one. As shown by more serious drinkers/reviewers and their hydrometer tests. Such knowledge will influence your judgement when drinking but luckily I tasted the El Dorado before reading about it. And yes, it is clearly overly sweet. Most of my drinking buddies agree. I think it aims to a part of the (novice) market that thinks rums should taste like this, because, after all, the stuff is made from sugar cane. If you are looking for a smooth, sweet rum you are better off with the Diplomatico Exclusiva or the Zacapa 23. I found the El Dorado 12 quite monotonous.

When opening the botlle you smell something sweet. It looks like the honeybee brought a fresh load of honey. At first you taste a sweet and strong rumtaste. When you hold the rum in your mouth the magic happens. The afterkick of the honey flavour is a experience to remember.

Prior to purchasing the 12-year old El Dorado I have bought the 15-year old. Having read many reviews with some people saying they prefer the 12 to the 15 I thought the two rums were at least en par.

The ED 12 tastes sweeter compared to the ED15, even though the ED 15 is supposed to have quite a bit more added sugar. The ED 12 is a pleasant rum on its own and given that it's reasonably priced, I can recommend trying it. You won't like it if you're not into sweet rums thoug

Compared to the ED 15, it's hands down just not as nice. The 15 is much more complex and has a lot more body to it.

Edit: It's best on the rocks.

Has some nice flavors but the absurd amount of added sugar masks what otherwise may have been good rum. El Dorado is notorious for sugaring their rums far beyond any reasonable standard...so who knows what this rum really tastes like, without the added sweeteners and coloring agents?

Aroma: Ve vůni mi jako nejvýraznější přijde kořenitost, a to hřebíček, ale s přechodem (při hlubším zkoumání) až celer, libeček, taková ta polévková kořenitost, skoro bujón.
Chuť: Chuť je fantastická, nejsladší ze zatím ochutnaných rumů, a vůbec mi ta krásná medová sladkost po rozinkách nevadila,takový nektar, který má zajímavé kořenité dokončení, opět se vkrádá hřebíček s celerem.
Body: 89

It's all subjective, but perfect level of sweetness for my palate - not at all too sweet. Great balance of mild spices, hints of fruit, and the right amount of wood before becoming overbearing. Great sipping rum, goes down easily. Very good for the price, certainly better than many priced beyond this one. A good rum for those that (think they) hate rum thanks to the swill they might have had in poorly made cocktails or on-the-cheap college shooters, or for perhaps whisky folks looking to get into something a bit different without being too radical.

The smoothest 40% drink I've ever had. Always a treat. Tastes of dark caramel.

Little bit sharp. Not so balanced. Not bad, not excellent.

My review of the El Dorado 15 year old was actually a comparison with the 12 year old. I purchased this rum after reading another review suggesting it was even better than the 15 year old. I would say that my taste differs than that reviewer. I felt the 12 was much harsher on the palate and even the aroma was much harder on the nose. It is a nice rum but fails in comparison to the 15. I tried both neat and on ice. I would not even consider using the 15 in a mixed drink and would prefer not to use the 12 but it would be rhe more likely choice if I did.